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Conway Board of Zoning Appeals approves multiple variances for Church Street redevelopment, denies Camden Loop setback request
Summary
At its Feb. 27 meeting the City of Conway Board of Zoning Appeals elected officers, approved minutes and granted variances for a dumpster location, a multi‑parcel parking/landscape redesign and signage for a drive‑through coffee shop; the board denied a rear‑setback variance for a Camden Loop lot.
The City of Conway Board of Zoning Appeals on Feb. 27 elected Paul Lawson as chair and Catherine Dingle as vice chair, approved its Dec. 19 minutes and took final votes on four public‑hearing items, granting three variance requests and denying one.
The board’s most detailed discussion concerned a redevelopment of the former Kmart site at 1610 and 1612 Church Street, where agents for the property owner asked for multiple variances to off‑street parking, stall dimensions, wheel stops and interior parking landscaping so the site can be reconfigured for new tenants. Kelly Wagner, a civil engineer with Foursight Group, said the requested dimensions reflect national tenant standards and that the design aims to make the center functional for prospective retailers: “We're not asking for anything that's out of the ordinary or unusual that we do everywhere else in the country,” she said. The board approved each of the parking and landscaping variances as presented.
At 1500 Fourth Avenue, agent Sean Flynn of Thomas & Hutton requested a variance to allow a dumpster and trash‑handling facility in a double‑frontage area along Fifth Avenue rather than strictly in a rear yard, citing constraints of the parcel layout. Sanitation staff (Reggie) reported no objection. The board approved the variance.
A sign variance for Scooter's Coffee at 1727 Church Street — to allow a second wall sign where the Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) allows one wall sign per tenant and only at a public entrance — was granted. Nick Bruno, agent for the applicant, explained the building has only a drive‑through window and no public interior entrance; the board approved the request, saying the configuration made the strict sign rule impractical.
The board denied a request to reduce the rear setback at 2458 Camden Loop from 20 feet to 10 feet. Joseph Dorr, agent for Dream Finders Homes, described tight lot geometry; several board members said the lot was created under the existing UDO and approving the variance would set a precedent that could undermine setback requirements. The board cited concerns that the request did not meet multiple variance prongs, including that the condition was not unique to this parcel.
Votes at the meeting were taken verbally with motions made from the dais and seconded; in each contested hearing the board called for those in favor and those opposed before announcing the result. City planning staff (Kim) read applicable UDO sections into the record for each item. There were no public speakers opposing the dumpster or sign variance; one nearby business manager, Jennifer Flomont of Advance America, said she welcomed redevelopment and added, “If that means more parking spaces even though they're smaller, that would be fine.”
The board closed the hearing portion after taking those votes and adjourned the meeting.
The board handled four public‑hearing agenda items and routine organizational business in a meeting that combined staff presentations, agent testimony and brief public comment.
